ABSTRACT

Much of the research examining students’ university choosing in England focuses on rates of access to ‘elite’ universities for high-attaining state-educated students. By contrast, the experiences of students applying to ‘new’ universities remain under-researched. This paper considers moderately attaining 16–18 years olds as a discrete group and highlights how a combination of England’s Higher Education (HE) policy and school performance measures may influence levels of support for students’ university applications. Drawing on an ethnographic study of a London state school, it finds that support for students’ university applications was differentiated in ways which overwhelmingly disadvantaged moderate attainers. A competitive school market, combined with a policy focus on ‘fair access’ to ‘elite’ institutions, meant high attainers’ university applications were consistently prioritised. Some teachers were found who navigated dominant HE discourses, drawing on an ethical teacher habitus and their social and cultural capital to support students applying to less prestigious universities.

摘要

在英格兰，许多研究学生选择大学的研究都侧重于获得高学历的高学历学生进入“精英”大学的比例。相比之下，申请“新”大学的学生的经历仍未得到充分研究。本文考虑将年龄适中的16-18岁作为一个离散群体并重点介绍了英格兰的高等教育（HE）政策和学校绩效指标的结合如何影响学生对大学申请的支持水平。通过对伦敦州立学校的人种学研究，发现对学生申请大学的支持在很大程度上压倒了中等学习者的方式​​。竞争激烈的学校市场，再加上对“精英学校”的“公平获得”的政策关注，意味着高学历者的大学申请始终受到优先考虑。结果发现，一些教师驾驭着占主导地位的高等教育课程，并利用一种道德的教师习性及其社会和文化资本来支持学生申请名校较少的大学。